New English Translation
Jonah 1:14
14So they cried out to the Lord, “Oh, please, Lord, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.”
Jonah 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
- New International Version (NIV)Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”
Context of Jonah 1:14
12He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea to make the sea quiet down, because I know it’s my fault you are in this severe storm.” 13Instead, they tried to row back to land, but they were not able to do so because the storm kept growing worse and worse. So they cried out to the Lord, “Oh, please, Lord, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.” 15So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. 16The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord.
Read all of Jonah 1Jonah 1:14 word by word
וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אַל־נָ֣א נֹאבְדָ֗ה בְּנֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑יא כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָפַ֖צְתָּ עָשִֽׂיתָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore they criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- We beseech theeאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- we beseech thee, let us not perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- for this man’sאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- and layנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- not upon us innocentנָקִיאnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- hast doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- as it pleasedחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
Cross-references for Jonah 1:14
- Jonah 1:5The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep.
- Psalms 107:28They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.
- Isaiah 26:16O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.
- Genesis 9:6“Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.”
- Deuteronomy 21:8Do not blame your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed.
- Acts 28:4When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”
- Psalms 115:3Our God is in heaven! He does whatever he pleases!
- Psalms 135:6He does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the ocean depths.
- Daniel 4:34But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me. I extolled the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever. For his authority is an everlasting authority, and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.
- Matthew 11:26Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.
- Ephesians 1:9He did this when he revealed to us the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,
Commentaries on Jonah 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14They cried unto the Lord - Under a conviction that he was the self-existing Being, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and the author of the present storm, they put up their prayers to him. Let us not perish for this man's life - They were now about to cast him overboard; but seemed to call God to witness that it was with the utmost reluctance, and only in obedience to his command. There is a parallel passage in the Argonautics, which has been quoted…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Wherefore (And) they cried unto the Lord - “They cried” no more “each man to his god,” but to the one God, whom Jonah had made known to them; and to Him they cried with an earnest submissive, cry, repeating the words of beseeching, as men, do in great earnestness; “we beseech Thee, O Lord, let us not, we beseech Thee, perish for the life of this man” (i. e., as a penalty for taking it, as it is said, 2 Samuel 14:7. “we will slay him for the life of his…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 The mariners rowed against wind and tide, the wind of God's displeasure, the tide of his counsel; but it is in vain to think of saving ourselves any other way than by destroying our sins. Even natural conscience cannot but dread blood-guiltiness. And when we are led by Providence God does what he pleases, and we ought to be satisfied, though it may not please us. Throwing Jonah into the sea put an end to the storm. God will not afflict for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14the men rowed hard: They knew Jonah had angered the Lord, but they worried the Lord would be angrier if they killed his prophet.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. for this man's life--that is, for taking this man's life. innocent blood--Do not punish us as Thou wouldst punish the shedders of innocent blood (compare De 21:8). In the case of the Antitype, Pontius Pilate washed his hands and confessed Christ's innocence, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." But whereas Jonah the victim was guilty and the sailors innocent, Christ our sacrificial victim was innocent and Pontius Pilate and nil of us men…Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 1:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jonah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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